We Meet Again
by SpectraVondergeist
Summary: "Her breath caught in her throat. Could it be? Though this woman had aged, her ocean-blue eyes still sparkled with youth. They were the purest blue McKenzie had ever seen. And she'd recognize them anywhere." Mack, now 26, meets an elderly Lela while visiting a nursing home. Can they pick up their friendship where they left off?
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Teen Beach Movie or any of the characters

Chapter 1

McKenzie pulled into the parking lot of Oceanview Manor. Her Grandpa, who'd recently stayed at the nursing home after surgery, had just gone home. The 26-year-old was there to pick up his belongings that he'd kept there during his stay. The brick building rose before her, as she walked toward the automatic double doors. When she got inside, she signed in, then took an elevator to the second floor, where her Grandpa's room had been.

"Hello!" She greeted a nurse, who was sitting at a desk in the nurse's station. "I'm here to pick up my Grandfather's things."

"Oh yes!" The nurse smiled. "I remember you! Go ahead. They're in his room."

McKenzie thanked the nurse, and turned to the hall, when she was approached by an frail-looking elderly woman in a wheelchair. "Mack!" The woman called to her. "You've come to _see_ me!" She woman smiled, overjoyed to see her.

_Mack?_ No one called her that anymore, except for her boyfriend, Brady. Did this woman know her?

"Hello," said McKenzie politely. "Do I know you?"

The woman laughed. "It's me, Mack. Don't you recognize me?"

"I'm sorry. I don't," McKenzie answered.

The woman then gestured to the nurse at the desk. "This is my friend Mack!"

"So you're the famous Mack. I've heard a lot about you," the nurse said.

The elderly woman suddenly became animated. "Mack and I were friends as girls! Oh, we had such _nice_ times. Beach parties, pajama parties..."

The nurse smiled patronizingly. "Oh sweetie, I don't think this girl could be _your_ Mack. She's a bit young. Does she look like her?"

"Yes!" The woman stated plainly. "Because she _is_ her!"

The nurse turned to McKenzie. "I'm sorry. She's a bit confused today."

"Aww. It's okay," McKenzie replied. "I understand." The nurse nodded, then turned and walked down the hall.

"It was nice to meet you," McKenzie said, leaning down to the old woman. Then, her breath caught in her throat. _Could it be?_ Though this woman had aged, her ocean-blue eyes still sparkled with youth. They were the purest blue McKenzie had ever seen. And she'd recognize them anywhere.

"I knew you would come back, Mack," the woman told her, patting her hand. "I never did get the hang of surfing, though."

Maybe this woman wasn't confused at all. "Your name is Lela, isn't it?" McKenzie asked.

The woman clapped her hands together; "Yes! I knew you'd recognize me sooner or later! Oh Mack, how I've missed you."

Tears flooded McKenzie's eyes. "Lela, it's beyond wonderful to see you again," she said. She leaned down, and embraced her old friend in a warm hug.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

"It's so nice to see you again, too," Lela said. "How is Brady? Still a dreamboat?"

Mack laughed. "He's adorable! We're still together, actually."

Lela squealed with delight. Mack was amazed at how she managed to sound so much like a giggly teenage girl.

"Would you like to see a picture of him?" Asked Mack.

"_Would_ I?" Said Lela."I'd love to!"

Mack reached into her purse and removed her cell phone. She scrolled down her pictures until she found a recent photo of her boyfriend, then she handed it to Lela. Lela studied it intently, her frail-looking hands shaking a bit.

Finally, she said; "This is such an _unusual_ camera, Mack. Where does the film go?"

Mack laughed. "This is a smartphone. It doesn't take film. They weren't, um, around yet when we were younger." She wasn't sure how to refer to the time when she and Lela were both 16, yet decades apart.

Lela handed the phone back to Mack. "You were so ahead of your time, even back then. And Brady is still as cute as ever. He hasn't changed since 1962!"

Mack and Lela chatted as if they'd never been apart. Mack learned that Lela had married Tanner when she was 19, became a voice teacher, and had five children. She also learned that Tanner had passed away over a year ago. Before she knew it, it was late in the afternoon, and she had to get home. She promised to return and visit the next day.

"I'll bring a surprise," she told Lela, as she hugged her goodbye and kissed her papery cheek.

Later:

"Are you sure it was really her?" Asked Brady. He and Mack were laying in bed talking that night.

"Yes," said Mack. "Without a doubt. She's aged a lot, of course, but it is her. When you see those eyes, Brady, you'll know."

"What's she like now, anyway?" Questioned Brady. "I can't even imagine. She was so hot in a bikini."

Mack jabbed him in the side. "She's really sweet," she told him. "And she's still beautiful. She actually looks a little like Betty White, but with silvery hair. She's obviously suffering from some type of dementia, though. The way she talks, sometimes she sounds like that Summer was just a few days ago, and she's still 16. But other times, she talks about things that happened later in life, like her marriage to Tanner."

_"Dude!"_ Exclaimed Brady. "They got married? I knew it!"

Mack laughed. "And they had a very happy life together, raising five kids."

"Sweet," said Brady. "Maybe that will be me and you someday?"

Mack rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't know about the five kids."

There was a pause, then Brady said; "It's so weird to think of Lela as old. I guess I'll always think of her as a teenager, hanging out at Big Mama's."

"I know," said Mack. "Hey? Would you come with me to visit her tomorrow?."

"Sure," Brady replied. "That'd be great."

"She'll be so happy to see you." Mack told him.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Before Mack and Brady went to Oceanview Manor the next day, Mack dug through her jewelry box, and took out a very special necklace. It was a strand of pearls, with a golden pendant in the shape of a Hawaiian symbol for friendship. Mack put it on, then stood in front of the mirror, fingering the flower charm. The necklace had belonged to Lela. Mack admired it once, during that magical Summer. And before she and Brady left, Lela gave the necklace to her. Mack treasured that beautiful trinket. Back then, she might have thought going to Wet Side and meeting Lela and her friends had been a hallucination, since she'd nearly drowned in the ocean that day. But coming back home, still wearing the necklace, was proof that it wasn't her imagination at all. It was not only a reminder of one of her best memories ever, but also a gift from a friend she'd never thought she would see again. Until now.

When they got to the nursing home, Mack entered Lela's room first, while Brady waited in the hall. "Hi, Lela," she said, hugging the elderly woman. Lela, who was propped up in her bed, hugged her back, glad to see her.

Mack lifted the necklace from her chest. "Do you remember this?" She asked.

Lela's face lit up. "Of course I do, silly! I gave it to you. Friendship forever."

Mack nodded, her eyes clouded with emotion. "That's right. Friendship forever." She thought back to the day Lela explained the meaning of the pendant to her.

"This necklace has been my most prized possession since you gave it to me," she told Lela. "I just wanted to thank you again for it."

Lela smiled. "I'm glad you like it so much, Mack. Giving it to you was the least I could do," she confided.

"What do you mean?" Asked Mack. She sat down on a chair next to the bed.

Lela leaned in to talk, as if sharing a secret. "You were the best friend I ever had," she said. "Meeting you changed my life. You introduced me to Tanner. And, you taught me that being a girl shouldn't keep me from following my dreams. Sure, I got married and raised a family, but I also had a career I loved. You gave me what I needed to live a full life. And I'll love you forever for it."

Mack grasped her friend's hand, looking into her eyes. "You know, Lela, you inspired me, too," she said. "You gave me the courage to be myself, instead of what people expected me to be. Meeting you stopped me from making a terrible mistake. And I love you for it, too. You mean the world to me. So thank _you_."

Just then, Brady knocked on the wall. "Can I make my grand entrance yet?"

"Oh, yeah," said Mack. "Lela, I brought a special visitor. Brady!"

Lela smiled, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "We meet again!" She said. "_Oh_, it's like the gang's all together again!"

Mack, Brady and Lela spent the afternoon together, talking and laughing about the good times they'd shared on the beach. The young couple stayed until visiting hours ended, then left with the promise to return soon.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Over the next several weeks, Mack, and sometimes Brady, visited Lela. Mack tried to go two or three times a week, after work. She still marveled over how Lela didn't seem to realize that she'd aged so much, while Mack and Brady looked only slightly older. It was as if Lela was frozen in time, forever a playful, boy-crazy teenager.

One day, Mack visited Lela with big news. She was bursting with the need to tell someone, and Lela was the best listener she could ask for. "I just found out I'm pregnant!" Mack told her friend. "I haven't even told Brady yet. You're the first to know!"

Lela, delighted with the news, hugged Mack. "Oh, if only you had been there when my children were born! They could have grown up together. Wouldn't that have been cute?"

"Yeah," said Mack. "It really would of."

"I'm so happy for you!" Squealed Lela. "I can't wait until you start showing. You'll look so _adorable!"_

Mack laughed at her enthusiasm. "Thanks," she said.

Lela prattled on in her girlish way; "Oh, I hope it's a girl. A boy would be fine too, but girls... oh, they can wear the cutest little outfits. When my Betsy was born, I got her..."

Days later, Mack and Brady were at the obstetrician. Mack was getting a sonogram. Brady was thrilled when she told him about the baby. "One down, four to go," he'd said, referring to Lela and Tanner's brood.

"Would you like to know the sex of the baby?" The nurse asked. Mack and Brady had already agreed they would, so they said yes.

"Okay," said the nurse. "It looks like you're expecting a baby girl! Congratulations!"

_"Oh, Brady,"_ Mack said. "We've gotta name her Lela."

"I was just thinking the same thing," replied Brady.

The nurse smiled. "What a pretty name! very unique!"

"Thanks," said Mack. "She'll be named for a very special friend of ours."

On the way home, Mack asked Brady to stop at the nursing home. She was excited to tell Lela that not only was the baby a girl, like she'd hoped, but that she would be her namesake. When they got to Lela's room, it was empty of Lela and her belongings. Mack wasn't sure she had the right room at first, but the number by the door confirmed it was. A nurse was in the room, making the bed.

"Where is Lela?" Mack asked.

The nurse's face shadowed with concern. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Lela passed away last night."

Mack gasped. "You mean she..."

"If it will bring you any comfort, please know she didn't suffer," the nurse told them. "She went peacefully in her sleep."

Mack began to cry hot tears.

"I'll let you two be alone," said the nurse, leaving the room.

Brady sat in a chair, and took Mack in his lap. She wept on his shoulder, shaking with grief. Brady felt his own tears roll down his cheeks, as he rocked his girlfriend, trying to comfort her, wishing he could heal her broken heart.

"I can't believe she's _gone._ She was so full of life," Mack whispered, hiccuping.

"I know," said Brady. "She was an amazing person. And part of that is because of _you_. You never know how much you can impact another person's life." He kissed Mack's tear-stained cheek.

Mack sighed. "I'm going to miss her so much."

"So will I," Brady soothed. "We both loved her. But, and I know this sounds cliche, but... she will always live in your heart," he said, tapping on her chest for emphasis. "And that's the truth. Whenever you say or hear our daughter's name, you'll think of Lela."

Mack could feel her friendship necklace, cool against her neck. She wrapped her arms tighter around Brady. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Brady said.

That week, Mack and Brady attended Lela's funeral. There, they got to meet her family, and see the legacy she left behind. Framed photos of Lela and Tanner on their wedding day, holding their children, then holding their _grand_children, were displayed throughout the funeral home. The young couple took their time looking over them, during the wake. When Mack introduced herself to Lela's children, and they looked surprised at her name, she explained that she was Lela's friend Mack's "granddaughter." Then, she and Brady said their final goodbyes as Lela was laid to rest next to Tanner, the love of her life.

As time passed, Mack realized that Brady had been right- Lela's memory _did_ live on in her heart, and not because she could see her anytime she wanted on Brady's DVD of _Wet Side Story_, but because months later, Mack gave birth to their baby girl, Lela Elizabeth. And when baby Lela opened her eyes, Mack and Brady were thrilled to see that they were the perfect shade of ocean-blue.

**The End**

**Hope you enjoyed the story! Please read and review. Thank you!**


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